Yellowjackets Control Glass, Clamp Down Defensively in 89–61 Road Win at William Woods

FULTON, Mo. — Behind a dominant second-half effort and a stat-stuffing performance from forward Micah Lamberth, the Graceland University Yellowjackets men's basketball team rolled to an 89–61 victory over William Woods University on Saturday afternoon at Anderson Arena.

With the win, Graceland improves to 19-4 overall and 13-2 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC), while William Woods drops to 6-17 (3-12 HAAC).

Graceland's defense and rebounding were the early storylines. Head coach Todd Lorensen emphasized postgame how correcting mistakes after the break fueled the surge. "In the first half our biggest issue was just not taking care of the basketball or cleaning up the defensive glass. Once we were able to clean that up in the second half the offense took care of itself," Lorensen said.

The Yellowjackets turned a 34–28 halftime lead into a commanding second-half statement, outscoring the host Owls 55–33 over the final 20 minutes. Graceland's field goal percentage climbed from 53.8% in the first half to 54.8% in the second, while they held William Woods to just 38.5% shooting for the game, including 20.0% from beyond the arc (6-of-30).

Lamberth led all scorers with 26 points, finishing an efficient 11-of-13 from the field, adding seven rebounds and one assist in 29 minutes. But Lorensen was quick to credit the efforts of his supporting cast.

"Micah's stat line definitely jumps out at you and he had a tremendous game, but what doesn't show up as much on the stat sheet is how many opportunities Runey (Hernandez) created for his teammates through passes out of the double team and just simple screening actions to get others open."

Hernandez was quietly instrumental, contributing 14 points, seven assists, seven rebounds, and two key offensive boards to keep possessions alive. He also played a central role in Graceland's transition to a cleaner offensive rhythm in the second half, posting a +6 plus/minus differential after intermission.

Carson Busch added 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting from three, including back-to-back triples that keyed a second-half run. Josh Sanderson chipped in with 9 points and was a perfect 2-for-2 from distance in the first half. Tyson Shaw and Trey Summers provided valuable minutes off the bench, combining for 18 points and 9 rebounds, while Kaamil Domingo added five points and five boards, including four offensive rebounds.

"Camille had a stretch in the second half where he had an offensive rebound—it felt like every possession," Lorensen added. "And a couple of possessions he had multiple of them, which is exactly what we need from him."

Graceland won the rebounding battle 41–30, pulling down 11 offensive boards, leading to 11 second-chance points. The Jackets also forced 10 turnovers while scoring 19 points off those miscues, compared to just five for the Owls.

William Woods was led by Brock Davis, who posted a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to keep pace with Graceland's deep offensive arsenal. Isaiah Payne and Michael Brooks II added 13 and 10 points respectively, but the Owls were hampered by 6-of-30 shooting from deep and just five made free throws on seven attempts.

Despite Graceland's 11 team turnovers in the game, their assist-to-turnover ratio of 19:11 and 40.0% shooting from three proved more than sufficient. The Yellowjackets also boasted a balanced attack, with eight players scoring five or more points, and 23 points coming from the bench.

"January could be grueling on any team and it's definitely taking a toll on us," said Lorensen. "But we're looking forward to having a bye this week and then ready for the stretch run of the regular season and into the Heart conference tournament."

With fatigue a factor across the league, Graceland will enjoy a midweek bye before returning home to the Morden Center.

The Yellowjackets return to the court Saturday, Feb. 7 at 4:00 p.m. CST, when they host Benedictine College (Kan.) in Lamoni, Iowa.

For more information on Graceland men's basketball and all of Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com.